The two ethnic groups may share the ethnonym due to them having been a single ethnic group before the 6th century.[2] The name Sporoi, mentioned by Procopius as the common name for Sclaveni (South Slavs) and Antes (East Slavs), has been theorized to have been the ethnonym Serb.

A genetic study of Sorbs showed that they share greatest affinity with Poles, while results were compared to Serbia and Montenegro due to historical hypotheses, showing that "The Sorbs were most different to Serbia and Montenegro, likely reflecting the considerable geographical distance between the two populations."[3]